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DepEd, DICT pick 10 Starlink beneficiaries

Students attend a class at the Commonwealth High School, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, April 18, 2024. — REUTERS

Ten schools across the Philippines have become the first beneficiaries of satellite-based internet, through a partnership between the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Education (DepEd), as the government seeks to boost the current 60% connectivity rate among state-run schools.

According to a DepEd statement on Thursday, the ten schools include the Tangalagan National High School in Apayao in the northern Philippines and the Cabawa Elementary School in the southern region.

“We have been shown the new Starlink, which provides internet connection, so there is Wi-Fi everywhere,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. earlier said.

“We are doing that not only here, but we will do it in various schools, especially those in remote areas.”

The initiative is bolstered by the DICT’s ongoing efforts, including JuanSIM ng Bayan, the Free Public Internet Access Program, and its broader digitalization agenda.

Meanwhile, DepEd is investing in infrastructure and digital tools to support and sustain the nationwide connectivity push.

Classes began last June 16, with public schools welcoming about 27 million students. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Lawmakers urged to review Maharlika Investment Fund

Congress should exercise its oversight powers on the country’s sovereign wealth fund, examining its projects, investments and compliance with existing laws, a congressman said on Thursday.

Lawmakers should look into the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) after it was created nearly two years ago to determine the status of the wealth fund, Party-list Rep. Bernadette R. Herrera said.

“Oversight powers of Congress should be invoked to ascertain in detail the status of the Fund and whether the MIC and other involved agencies fully comply with the MIC charter and related laws,” she said in a statement.

“Where are the projects… [and] return on investments?” she asked.

The Philippines’ sovereign wealth fund made three investments this year, including an injection into the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, the launch of a private equity fund with a Thai conglomerate, and financing for a mining feasibility study by an Australian subsidiary in the country.

The MIC has already remitted P1.447 billion to the National Treasury, BusinessWorld reported in May. The fund earned P2.3 billion in interest income last year.

Created by a 2023 law, the MIC has an authorized capital stock of P500 billion. Of this, P125 billion were sourced from the investible funds of the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines, as well as contributions from the National Government, including dividend remittances of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Cop dead, 6 companions injured in Sarangani road accident

COTABATO CITY — A policeman died while six of his companions in the police service were hurt in a vehicular accident in Barangay Poblacion in Alabel, Sarangani before dawn Thursday.

Officials of the Sarangani Provincial Police Office and the Police Regional Office-12 told reporters that the seven policemen were in a Toyota Innova, on their way to General Santos City from the wake.

Lt. Col. Reynaldo S. Delantein, chief of the Alabel municipal police, said the accident left Police Executive Master Sgt. Wilfredo D. Ollosa Jr. dead.

Their vehicle, driven by Executive Master Sgt. Michael F. Sutelo, reportedly veered towards the left side of the route and hit head-on a concrete highway center barrier at the CP Garcia Street in Barangay Poblacion in Alabel, causing the instant death of Mr. Ollosa, who was at the front seat.

Emergency responders immediately transported badly injured Mr. Sutelo and five other policemen, Chief Master Sgt. Ernel S. Bullag, Senior Master Sergeants Gleen P. Sealmoy, Edgardo W. Fontanilla and Jerwin U. Munar, and Corporal Rainier G. Ortiz, to a hospital.

Mr. Delantein said the accident fatality Mr. Ollosa and all of his companions belong to the Regional Headquarters Support Unit of the Police Regional Office-12 in Barangay Tambler in General Santos City. — John Felix M. Unson

Buss family to sell Lakers at $10-billion valuation

LOS ANGELES — The Buss family is entering an agreement to sell a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN reported on Wednesday, marking the end of an era for one of the NBA’s most influential owners.

Mark Walter, the chief executive officer and chairman of holding company TWG Global, is set to take the majority ownership under the agreement which values the Lakers at $10 billion, ESPN reported, making it the largest-ever sale of a professional sports team.

The Boston Celtics had become the latest NBA franchise to change ownership in March, closing a $6.05 billion sale to an investment group led by Bill Chisholm, a record figure for the league at the time.

Mr. Walter, already an established figure in Los Angeles sports, has existing shares in MLB team Los Angeles Dodgers and WNBA franchise Los Angeles Sparks.

The Lakers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The late Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979 and turned it into one of the most popular franchises in all of professional sports, winning five championships during their now-iconic “Showtime” era in the 1980s.

His daughter, Jeanie Buss, took over as principal owner after Jerry died in 2013, making her one of the most powerful women in sports.

Jeanie Buss will stay on as governor after the sale, according to the ESPN report.

Lakers Hall of Fame point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson — a former player, coach, and executive with the team during the Buss family’s tenure — congratulated both parties on reaching the agreement.

“Laker fans should be ecstatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark — he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way,” Mr. Johnson, who is also a co-owner of the Dodgers alongside Mr. Walter, said in a post on X.

“He will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike.”

“Job well done to my sister Jeanie Buss for striking an incredible deal and picking the right person to carry on the Lakers legacy and tradition of winning… Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker brand.” — Reuters

SMB, Ginebra eye Final Four slots against Meralco and Converge

Games on Friday
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. – Meralco vs San Miguel
7:30 p.m. – Ginebra vs Converge
*San Miguel and Ginebra with twice-to-beat advantage

IF there’s a key takeaway from the initial salvo of the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals last Wednesday, it’s that regardless of rankings, any team could beat any team.

And so after No. 7 Rain or Shine and No. 6 TNT outplayed No. 2 NLEX and No. 3 Magnolia, respectively, to drag their twice-to-beat foes to a sudden death, top seed San Miguel Beermen (SMB) and No. 4 Barangay Ginebra are now even more determined to finish off their lower-ranked opposition right away.

The Beermen seek a quick disposal of No. 8 holder Meralco — a result that would not only send them to the semifinals but also give them the satisfaction of being the ones to dethrone their conquerors in last season’s finals.

The Gin Kings, for their part, aim to cash in on their win-once edge against No. 5 Converge and swiftly proceed to the Final Four.

It’s an early playoffs faceoff for the Beermen and the Bolts after their tough dispute for the league’s crown jewel a year ago, which the latter won, 4-2.

“I think it’s a different ballgame now. Past is past but syempre, we have to redeem ourselves also,” said SMB star CJ Perez ahead of the 5 p.m. encounter.

Embattled Meralco is in survival mode.

“We’re ready,” said Bolts mentor Luigi Trillo, who expects his charges to rise to the above adversity like they did in beating their last three opponents at the end of the elims, including NLEX and Ginebra, to advance despite a woeful 3-5 start. “We’ve been here a lot of times so I think we’d really respond well in this first game. But you have to get to one before you get to two.”

Gin Kings tactician Tim Cone isn’t looking past the 7:30 p.m encounter with the FiberXers.

“Bottomline is, we’re just going to prepare ourselves and try to go out and just win one game. That’s really what we’re thinking about, one game, not twice-to-beat. We’re just thinking about one game and winning that,” he said.

The rubbermatch for this side of the Last-8 will be played on Sunday, a day after the double KO duels involving the Road Warriors against the Elasto Painters and the Hotshots versus the grand slam-seeking Tropang 5G. — Olmin Leyba

Fajardo leads Best Player of the Conference plum in S49

JUNE MAR FAJARDO — PBA

SAN Miguel Beermen (SMB) behemoth June Mar Fajardo (JMF) is making a strong push for his second Best Player of the Conference (BPC) plum in Season 49 and a record-stretching 12th overall.

Mr. Fajardo, who won the top individual plum in the season-opening Governors’ Cup, roared to the front of the BPC race in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup with a 40.4 average statistical points (SPs) through the end of the preliminaries.

The 6-foot-10 Cebuano anchored his leading card on solid averages of 17.5 points, a league-best 13.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists as he set the pace against rivals led by SMB teammate CJ Perez and NLEX gunner Robert Bolick.

Mr. Perez, the tournament’s premier scorer with 23.4 markers, ran second behind JMF with 38.5 SPs, while Mr. Bolick, the top assists-issuer with 7.2 per game, sat at third with 37.6 SPs.

Zav Lucero, who has been a rock for Magnolia with 18.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.5 block, occupied fourth with 37.3 SPs followed by Jason Perkins, who logged 35.5 SPs highlighted by a second-best 23.2 markers before Phoenix bowed out of the playoffs.

At sixth to 10th were TNT’s Calvin Oftana (35.4), Converge’s twin towers Justin Arana (34.6) and Justine Baltazar (34.6), Barangay Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar (34.2) and NorthPort’s Joshua Munzon, the All-Filipino meet’s leader in steals with 1.9 per match, with his 32.2 SPs.

Just outside the Top 10 were, Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson (31.4), Converge’s Deschon Winston (30.5), Phoenix’ Kai Ballungay (30.3), Ginebra’s Stephen Holt (30.2), NLEX’ Javee Mocon (29.3), Ginebra’s Jaime Malonzo (29.10), Rain or Shine’s Leonard Santillan (29.09) and Caelan Tiongson (28.7), Magnolia’s Ian Sangalang (28.3) and Ginebra’s RJ Abarientos (28.1).Just outside the Top 10 were NorthPort’s Joshua Munzon, the All-Filipino meet’s leader in steals with 1.9 per match, with his 32.2 SPs, Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson (31.4), Converge’s Deschon Winston (30.5), Phoenix’ Kai Ballungay (30.3), Ginebra’s Stephen Holt (30.2), NLEX’ Javee Mocon (29.3), Ginebra’s Jaime Malonzo (29.10), Rain or Shine’s Leonard Santillan (29.09), Meralco’s Chris Newsome (28.0) and Magnolia’s Ian Sangalang (28.3). — Olmin Leyba

Tagaytay City formally launches UCI-standard velodrome

THERE was a time that track discipline in cycling was a traditional gold medal source for the Philippines in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

A possible resurgence in the sport looms with the completion of the Tagaytay City Velodrome that will be officially opened on Monday with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President and City Mayor Abraham Tolentino and national cyclists Ronald Oranza and Jermyn Prado.

“We are setting the pace for a renaissance in Philippine cycling in track discipline and we’ll be marking our cyclists’ return to the velodrome in the SEA Games,” said Mr. Tolentino, who entered an entry in each of the men’s and women’s omnium in Thailand.

Alfie Catalan was the last Filipino to bring home a gold in track in the 2011 SEA Games edition in Indonesia.

It was the third mint for towering Mr. Catalan as he also reigned supreme in 2007 in Nakhon Ratchasima where countryman Victor Espritu struck gold in the points race event, Thailand and 2005 back home.

And there is hope the country could produce one in Thailand, which will stake five track gold.

Mr. Oranza and Ms. Prado, both multiple medal winners in international competitions, will circle the 250-meter indoor and International Cycling Union-standard velodrome waving both the Philippine and PhilCycling flags during the ceremony that highlights the joint celebration of the Olympic and World Bicycle Day and Tagaytay City’s 87th Charter Day.

“This is to formally and officially announce the formal opening of the Tagaytay City Velodrome, the first of its kind in the country and one that’s of UCI standard,” said Mr. Tolentino.

Also on Monday, the POC will oversee the signing of contracts for the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship and Grants Program with nine athletes signing up for training scholarships for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and 12 more for the Support Grant for Continental Athletes. — Joey Villar

Exceptional student-athletes will be recognized in SMC-Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night on June 30

THE finest student-athletes in the land will be given their due recognitions in the third staging of the San Miguel Corp.-Collegiate Press Corps (SMC-CPC) Awards Night on June 30 at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas, Pasig.

Led by the staple Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year plum, a total of 27 awards will be handed out to the exceptional achievers of the just-concluded UAAP Season 87 and NCAA Season 100.

Football, for the first time ever, will be added to the honor roll with three Football Players of the Year awards from both the UAAP (Men’s and Women’s) and the NCAA as the group aims to expand recognition to every sport every year.

The CPC, united into one umbrella in 2022 from then separate UAAP and NCAA press groups for decades, first added volleyball awards last year for also the first time from the previous ceremonies featuring only basketball.

The CPC Players of the Year in both genders will spearhead the Men’s and Women’s Mythical Teams as Volleyball Players of the Year from both the UAAP and NCAA men’s divisions will be recognized for the second straight year in the annual event presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Pilipinas Live and GMA.

To cap it off are the champion tacticians in basketball and volleyball with the Coaches of the Year awards, also from both the UAAP and NCAA as the country’s top collegiate leagues.

The CPC, an esteemed group of journalists from both print and online media nationwide, will also recognize the NCAA’s contributions to the Philippine collegiate sports after reaching its historic 100th season.

“We owe it to the student-athletes to continue to glorify their unwavering efforts, with football players in the spotlight this time around. This is our own little way of immortalizing them for what they have done not just for their respective schools, but also for collegiate sports as a whole,” said CPC president John Bryan Ulanday of The Philippine Star.

Serving as guest of honor and speakers are UAAP executive director Atty. Rego Saguisag, sports director Bo Perasol of UAAP Season 87 host University of the Philippines and management committee board chairman Herc Callanta of NCAA Season 100 host Lyceum of the Philippines University. — John Bryan Ulanday

OKC one win from title, expects ‘best punch’ from Pacers in Game 6

ONE win away from the first NBA title in franchise history, Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) coach Mark Daigneault believes preparation for Game 6 of the Finals on Thursday night at Indianapolis boils down to how the other sneaker fits.

“We’re always trying to put ourselves in our opponent’s shoes,” Daigneault said of Oklahoma City’s focus with a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series ahead of the first elimination game of the NBA Finals.

“Zero and zero mindset. We’re not introducing any new concepts right now, we’re just relying on the psychological habits we’ve built over time.”

Perspective might be more challenging for Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle as his squad faces the task of attempting to win two consecutive games against the Thunder with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton at less than full strength.

Carlise said on Wednesday it will be late afternoon or early evening on Thursday before the Pacers have a realistic feel for what Haliburton can contribute as Indiana attempts to send the series back to Oklahoma City for Game 7 on Sunday night.

He participated in walkthrough on Wednesday, but the 30-minute session involved no “real running” by Carlisle’s assessment.

“I think it depends on who you ask. I have to understand the risks, ask the right questions,” Haliburton said of how he’ll decide to play. “But I’m a competitor. I want to play. I’m going to do everything in my power to play.”

Haliburton scored 22 points and was one rebound shy of a triple-double in Indiana’s Game 3 victory on June 11.

Since that win, a calf strain has hampered his performance, which followed a tweaked ankle in Game 2.

As Oklahoma City turned a 2-1 series deficit to a 3-2 advantage, Haliburton has struggled from the field, hitting just seven of 21 shots from the field over the past two games, including a 1-for-11 clip from 3-point range. He has totaled just 22 points in 70 minutes.

“You don’t underestimate great players. In the case that he plays, we’re expecting his best punch,” Daigneault said. “You don’t underestimate great teams. In the event he doesn’t play, we’re expecting Indiana’s best.”

Heroes of the series emerged from almost every segment of the rotation.

Haliburton’s near-triple-double in Game 3 was underscored by Indiana’s 49 bench points, 27 from Bennedict Mathurin and five steals from T.J. McConnell. Andrew Nembhard shifted to point guard in Haliburton’s place in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year, when the Pacers overcame a 3-2 series deficit to beat the Knicks in Games 6 and 7.

“I think obviously Tyrese is a big part of what we do. Whether he plays or not, I think it’s going to be a team thing,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said. “We have to together all step up. The importance of the game, we just all have to take a step forward. It’s going to be down the line.

“I don’t think any one of us should feel like one person is going to have to do it. It’s going to be collective.”

Siakam put up 28 points and stepped up in the fourth quarter of Game 5 without Haliburton. More of the same is in order if the Pacers wish to keep up with OKC’s 1-2 punch.

Thunder MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a combined 66 points in Games 4 and 5. But the national spotlight has been shared with Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, who tallied 67 points over the same span, including a 40-point outburst in Game 5 with the Pacers setting a defense determined to help and force the ball out of SGA’s hands.

“It makes me sound like a jerk,” Williams said of not answering his phone the past week to keep the focus on winning a title. “A big thing for us — we’ve done a really good job of focusing on us.”

Gilgeous-Alexander said being “on the cusp of winning is not winning, and the way I see it, winning is all that matters.” He credited the organization for building the culture and environment to make the Thunder a marvel of a turnaround story.

He said he’s buoyed at this point in the season by the closeness of the locker room and how much fun the entire team is having. — Reuters

Gonzales, Acabo, Velos and Cabaral rule UTP Elite Eight Playoffs

CIELO MAY GONZALES, AJ Acabo, Juvels Velos and Ariel Cabaral emerged the top finishers in the premier girls and boys divisions of the recently concluded Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP) Elite Eight Playoffs in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

Mmss. Gonzales and Acabo topped the girls’ 18-and-under-section while Messrs, Velos and Cabaral ruled the boys’ side of the same age bracket of this event run and organized by Jean Henri Lhuillier of Cebuana Lhuillier.

Other winners were Shaner Gabaldonand Etha Nadine Seno (12-under), Mitchellen Cruispero and Kathlyn Bugna (14-under) and Cadee Jan Dagoon ad Khalilah Kate Imalay (16-under) in the girls’ section and Everett Pete Niere and Sherwin Brylle Gom-os (12-under), Everett Gil Niere and Claudwin Seven Tonaco (14-under) and Josh Benedict Lim and Matthew Morris (16-under) in the boys’ category.

Eilythia Comia and Everette Ezo Niere were atop the 10-and-under unisex division.

The 18 emerged out of the 72 — 36 from Luzon and the National Capital Region and 36 from the Visayas and Mindanao — that saw action in the prestigious age group event.

They will all represent the country in an international tournament in Malaysia this November.

“We believe in the power of sports to change lives. Supporting platforms like the UTP Elite Eight Playoffs allows us to help young athletes develop their skills, build their confidence, and represent the Philippines with pride on the global stage,” said Mr. Lhuillier.

San Carlos City has served as host for the UTP Elite Eight Playoffs for three consecutive years, thanks to Mayor Rene Gustilo, Vice-Mayor Criston Carmona, Congressman Gerardo Valmayor Jr., and Congressman Jules Ledesma.

The tournament is made possible through the support of Cebuana Lhuillier, alongside UNILAB, Alternatives Food Corp., NAVEGAR, STI, Dunlop, Madison Galeries, and Mr. Freeze, and is officially sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association. — Joey Villar

Fever marches on

The Fever were most definitely ecstatic following their win over the Sun the other day. It didn’t matter that they were heavily favored to prevail heading into their match against the WNBA cellar dwellers. As far as they were concerned, the victory served as validation of their place among the league’s established elite. And who could disabuse them of the notion? After all, their second straight triumph and fourth of five outings in the Commissioner’s Cup secured for them a spot in the Final early next month.

For a while there, the Fever looked to have their hands full against the Sun. They were locked in battle for the better part of the first half, with their first double-digit lead coming only near the break. Once they got their bearings, however, the superiority of their roster became evident — so much so that the fourth quarter became academic. And, needless to say, highly heralded sophomore Caitlin Clark led the charge; when the battlesmoke cleared, she wound up with a game-high 20 markers on 50% shooting from the field (67% from beyond the arc) along with six dimes and two swipes in 29 minutes of action.

Considering Clark’s importance to the cause, it’s no wonder that the Fever floundered in her absence. She was out for 19 days due to a left quadriceps strain, during which time they went a middling 2-3. When she returned over the weekend, however, she hit the ground running to put up 32, eight, and nine in helping upend the league-leading Liberty. The Sun were next, and they managed to take care of business with relative ease the other day — to the delight of the 16,284 fans at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Interestingly, Clark was nothing if not diplomatic in her post-mortem. Even as she was involved in an altercation with the Sun’s Jacy Sheldon that netted her a technical foul late in the third quarter, she saw fit to remind all and sundry that basketball needed to be foremost in everyone’s minds. That said, Fever head coach Stephanie White was right to note the increasingly physical nature of competition, and the ensuing need for referees to keep tight rein over contests. In any case, the red, blue, and gold march on.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Trump faces uproar from MAGA base over possible Iran strike

A “Make America Great Again” hat is seen on display on the trading floor at The New York Stock Exchange. — REUTERS

WASHINGTON — The prospect of a US strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald J. Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war.

Some of Mr. Trump’s most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies.

Mr. Bannon, one of many influential voices from Mr. Trump’s “America First” coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the US military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran’s nuclear program in the absence of a diplomatic deal.

“We can’t do this again,” Mr. Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. “We’ll tear the country apart. We can’t have another Iraq.”

The anti-interventionist part of the Republican Party is watching with alarm as Mr. Trump has moved swiftly from seeking a peaceful diplomatic settlement with Iran to possibly having the United States support Israel’s military campaign, including the use of a 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bomb.

The criticism shows the opposition Mr. Trump could face from his right-leaning “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) flank should he join the fight, a step that Iran has warned would have big consequences for Americans without specifying what that might be.

A decision by Mr. Trump to enter the conflict would be a sharp departure from his usual caution about foreign entanglements. It could impact his campaign to foster good relations in the Gulf and could be a distraction from his efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine and make tariff deals with countries around the world.

The MAGA coalition propelled Mr. Trump into office in the 2016 and 2024 elections and remains critically important to him even though he is prevented by the US Constitution from running for a third term.

Upsetting that base could erode Mr. Trump’s popularity and factor into whether Republicans hang on to control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.

‘IRAN CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON’
Asked about the rift on Wednesday, Mr. Trump appeared unconcerned that some in his base could be turning its back on him, at least on this issue.

“My supporters are more in love with me today, and I’m in love with them more than they were even at election time,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House. “I only want one thing: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

He said some of his supporters “are a little bit unhappy now” but that others agree with him that Iran cannot become a nuclear power.

“I’m not looking to fight. But if it’s a choice between them fighting or having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do,” Mr. Trump said.

Marc Short, an ally of former Vice-President Mike Pence who served as Mr. Trump’s legislative director during his first term, called the division over Iran within Mr. Trump’s party a “pretty large rift.” He said he thought Mr. Trump’s base would stay with him despite the differences, however.

“The divisions are obviously coming out in the open in this moment, but ultimately I think that most of the president’s followers are loyal to him more so than any worldview,” he said.

Mr. Short said standing with Israel could help Mr. Trump politically, too. Traditionally conservative voters favor standing by Israel. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March, 48% of Republicans agreed with a statement that the US should use its military power to defend Israel from threats no matter where the threats come from, compared to 28% who disagreed. Among Democrats, 25% agreed and 52% disagreed.

International experts believe Iran has been intent on developing a nuclear weapon, despite Tehran’s denials, and Israel believes it would be at risk as a result. US officials believe if Iran possessed an atomic weapon it would trigger an nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

ISRAELIS NEED TO GET JOB DONE
Mr. Bannon, host of the popular “War Room” podcast, said “the Israelis need to finish what they started” and that Mr. Trump should slow down deliberations over US involvement and explain his decision-making.

“This is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, okay, with 92 million people. This is not something you play around with. You have to think this through at this level, and the American people have to be on board. You can’t just dump this on them,” he said.

Other influential MAGA voices with similar messages of worry include former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson and US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and long-time Trump ally.

“Anyone slobbering for the US to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA,” Ms. Greene said in a social media post on Sunday. “We are sick and tired of foreign wars. All of them.”

But another Trump ally, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said on Fox News on Tuesday that he hopes Mr. Trump will help Israel “finish the job” because Iran represents “an existential threat to our friends in Israel.”

The rift was on full display when Mr. Carlson, on his streaming program, clashed with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas late on Tuesday.

A clip from Mr. Carlson’s interview with Mr. Cruz went viral with Mr. Carlson strongly criticizing the senator for seeking regime change in Iran, and Mr. Cruz expressing support for the president.

“You don’t know anything about Iran!” Mr. Carlson told Mr. Cruz.

“I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran,” Mr. Cruz fired back.

“You’re a senator who’s calling for the overthrow of the government,” Mr. Carlson retorted.

Vice-President JD Vance tried to tamp down talk of a rift on Monday with a social media post defending the president.

“People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue,” he said.

Now allies and opponents are waiting on Mr. Trump’s decision-making process. The president said on Wednesday afternoon he had some ideas on how to proceed but had not made a final decision. — Reuters

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